Kitchen Garden Forum

I've just got into these & have been pretty impressed with how well they have done, so I have been researching growing them from seed. All OK there, very achievable! I have one that broke in the heavy rain in a vase inside & thought a likely candidate for the first sowing as not too happy, but it has something that I haven't seen while researching. Can anyone tell me what the little pale bulb like things are in the middle & what do I do with them if anything? I checked the others & none have this.

Cheers!

Dear Westi,
those little pale bulb-like things are exactly that; little pale bulbs! Many of the Alliums do this, some more than others. I have heard that some of the big leek growers take leek bulbils (technical term that) to grow on from their prizewinning leeks to make sure that they are genetically the same which gives them the chance of getting more really big leeks.
Regards Sally Wright.

*makes a note to check the allium heads when home later......

Last year when my wife was going for radio therapy everyday for seven weeks I picked up a gardening magazine in the hospital and started reading an article on using the seed heads on Leeks to grow small ones for growing on ,I only got through part of the article as there was that much going on ,I did not like to take the magazine but next day I brought two kitchen garden mags the idea in my mind was to swap them for the one but as usually happens somebody had beat me to it and I still don't know how they do it

I love Alliums and have lots but haven't had any do that. I had a big spiky one like yours last year but this year the bulb seems to have split and produced three smaller flowers. I bought a packet of one called Summer Drummer last year but am still waiting for flowers. They are supposed to be big so I expected a big version of the normal round buds but they are in fact long like Garlic buds, I'll try for a photograph tomorrow.

Cheers Sally! Do I take them off now or wait? (Think I know the answer, but reassure me)! How exciting!

I've not tried growing the bulbils but have got this nice cluster where I rested some I'd had in a vase (the dried seed heads that is). The seeds must have fallen out and are flowering a year later. Very easy.

So pretty.

Hi PP! All for nothing as well. I've planted the baby bulbs & some dried seeds into a tray. The dog had an over enthusiastic roll around on the newly cut lawn and broke three others so I've dispersed the seeds around the garden beds as well to see if I can get more.

Your garden looks lovely, what a delight stepping out your door to this sea of colour.

Thanks Westi, it has been particularly beautiful this year. I must admit the photo doesn't show the buttercups and bind weed though.
Good luck with the allium. Mine are ChristophiI. I did like the dark purple ones in Monty Don's jewel garden I'll have to look them up.

Allium Summer Drummer buds - the tallest one is just over 5 feet.

Another beautiful garden, looks lovely Geoff!

That is very tall, how big is the flower when it comes? I bought a mixed set of bulbs from Bakkers of varying heights, unfortunately each wee pack that came didn't have the names on them, but I'll forgive them as I quite like it all mixed up but had I got a huge one like yours I would have been miffed if that was put in the front of the border.

I,ve tried saving the seed to grow in pots of compost and also let the seeds drop on the soil but have never been successful in rearing any new bulbs. I suspect my border is too crowded to give any seedlings much of a chance.
I love these plants but the leaves are usually rubbish and seem to die back and go all yellow and dead while the plant is still I full bloom. And I notice when digging birders and pulling a few up accidentally that the bulbs seem to get smaller every year.

Interesting Primrose, I'm new to these but really like them! Might have to consider buying in every few years then. Hopefully the little bulbs will create a better size then the seeds. Found opposing information on sowing the seed heads as well, one site said sow when green one said sow when dry - trying both!

Those seeds that grew were definitely dry as the tops had been dried and in a vase all winter - might have been two. It's alway fun to experiment isn't it.